Posted on December 8, 2023
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Here are all of the Pac-12 Football Defensive Player of the Year Award winners as selected by a vote of the coaches from its inception in 1983 through 2023.
Arizona’s Ricky Hunley and California’s Ron Rivera tied for the first award and UCLA’s Laiatu Latu earned the last award in the final year of the Conference.
From 1975 to 1982, the Conference did not distinguish between Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, simply choosing one overall Player of the Year.
Below you’ll also find a table listing award counts by program with the most recent year won.
All-Time Pac-12 Defensive Players of the Year
| Year | Player | Program |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Laiatu Latu | UCLA |
| 2022 | Tuli Tuipulotu | USC |
| 2021 | Devin Lloyd | Utah |
| 2020 | Talanoa Hufanga | USC |
| 2019 | Evan Weaver | California |
| 2018 | Ben Burr-Kirven | Washington |
| 2017 | Vita Vea | Washington |
| 2016 | Adoree Jackson | USC |
| 2015 | Deforest Buckner | Oregon |
| 2014 | Scooby Wright III | Arizona |
| 2013 | Will Sutton | Arizona State |
| 2012 | Will Sutton | Arizona State |
| 2011 | Mychal Kendricks | California |
| 2010 | Stephen Paea | Oregon State |
| 2009 | Brian Price | UCLA |
| 2008 | Rey Maualuga | USC |
| 2007 | Sedrick Ellis | USC |
| 2006 | Daymeion Hughes | California |
| 2005 | Dale Robinson (tie) | Arizona State |
| 2005 | Haloti Ngata (tie) | Oregon |
| 2004 | Shaun Cody (tie) | USC |
| 2004 | Bill Swancutt (tie) | Oregon State |
| 2003 | Dave Ball | UCLA |
| 2002 | Terrell Suggs | Arizona State |
| 2001 | Robert Thomas | UCLA |
| 2000 | Adam Archuleta | Arizona State |
| 1999 | Deltha O’Neal | California |
| 1998 | Chris Claiborne | USC |
| 1997 | Pat Tillman | Arizona State |
| 1996 | Jason Chorak | Washington |
| 1995 | Tedy Bruschi | Arizona |
| 1994 | Mark Fields | Washington State |
| 1993 | Rob Waldrop | Arizona |
| 1992 | Dave Hoffmann | Washington |
| 1991 | Steve Emtman | Washington |
| 1990 | Darryl Lewis (tie) | Arizona |
| 1990 | Steve Emtman (tie) | Washington |
| 1989 | Junior Seau | USC |
| 1988 | Dana Wells | Arizona |
| 1987 | Chuck Cecil | Arizona |
| 1986 | Byron Evans | Arizona |
| 1985 | Mark Walen | UCLA |
| 1984 | Duane Bickett | USC |
| 1983 | Ricky Hunley (tie) | Arizona |
| 1983 | Ron Rivera (tie) | California |
Breakdown of Winners by Program
| Program | Winners | Last Won |
|---|---|---|
| USC | 9 | 2022 |
| Arizona | 8 | 2014 |
| Arizona State | 6 | 2013 |
| Washington | 6 | 2018 |
| California | 5 | 2019 |
| UCLA | 5 | 2023 |
| Oregon | 2 | 2015 |
| Oregon State | 2 | 2010 |
| Utah | 1 | 2021 |
| Washington State | 1 | 1994 |
| Colorado | 0 | — |
| Stanford | 0 | — |
[See our all-time list of the Pac-12 Offensively Player of the Year as well.]
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